Entrepreneurship with Special Reference to the Status of Small Business Entrepreneurship: A Case Study Of Gondar, Ethiopia

Abstract

This paper looks at the concept of Small Business Entrepreneurship in Gondar, Ethiopia, reviewed its performance using some basic indicators. The study revealed that entrepreneurship development is essential not only to solve the problem of economic development but also to solve the problem of unemployment, unbalanced area development, concentration of economic power and diversion of profits from traditional sources or avenues. It noted that financial and physical facilities are not the only crucial inputs in the development of small business entrepreneurship, other inputs like government and support service systems. The small business enterprises and entrepreneurs faced the main problems of poor start-up capital and other financial constraints, technological obsolescence, poor managerial skills and knowledge, irregular supply of raw materials. Other problems include, poor marketing techniques and strategies, unorganized nature of operations, sole proprietorship dominated ownership structure, unskilled labour force and family management dominance, other infrastructural deficiencies and poor government support and encouragement, etc. It recommended that to improve the functioning and performance of small business entrepreneurship in Gondar, the following issues should be critically addressed: liberalization of government policies, attitudinal changes and proper training and development of existing and would-be entrepreneurs in the use of latest technology. Other recommendations include, 20 adequate training on modern management practice on human resource, financial, marketing, production, and innovation, effective management information systems, setting up an apex institution to regulate and monitor entrepreneurship education, etc. African Research Review Vol. 1 (2) 2007: pp. 19-48